Texas police officer caught on video tripping high school students at soccer game

Texas cop caught on video tripping high school students at soccer game

A Georgetown police officer has been placed on leave after a video of him tripping students went viral.
Rohan Gupta/ YouTube

A Texas policeman is the subject of national outrage after a video surfaced showing the officer purposefully tripping and pushing high school students.

Officer George Bermudez, a member of the Georgetown Police Department, was providing security for a Vandegrift High School girls soccer game at a Georgetown athletics complex on April 19. The school, technically located in Austin but part of the Leander School District, was playing Wiley's Wiley East High School for the state championship.

The Lady Vipers went on to win the game, clinching the first statewide title ever for Vandegrift. As students began to pour onto the field in celebration, Bermudez can be seen tripping, pushing and pulling students as they attempt to join the festivities.

Public outrage was swift after local media outlets began publishing the video alongside eyewitness accounts. In response to the criticism, on April 21, the Georgetown Police Department announced that the officer in question has been suspended and placed on paid administrative leave.

Footage of the scene was caught by Vandegrift student Rohan Gupta, who uploaded it to YouTube. Though it seems from the video that the officer was attempting to restrain the crowd, it's unclear why Bermudez resorted to kicking and tripping the students.

The police officer will remain on leave as the Georgetown Police Department conducts an investigation.

A Georgetown police officer has been placed on leave after a video of him tripping students went viral.
Rohan Gupta/ YouTube